Word of Recall

[The Giant]

While I seem to have you on the line, am I unfair when I characterized Malack as "paranoid?" Because it seems to be a point of contention with some other posters.

I think so, yes. "Paranoid" implies that the character is putting their safety and well-being ahead of all other considerations, including reason. Malack was reasonably prepared; he was not paranoid. He balanced self-preservation with utility. Putting a backdoor into Durkon's spell cost him nothing, so he did it. But preparing his highest-level spells as defensive spells does cost you the ability to actually advance your goals.

It's sort of a self-fulflling prophecy. If you spend your best spell slots on escape spells, then you will certainly be forced to use them. If you spend your best spell slots on offense, you might actually win. You have to take some risk in order to get ahead, even when you're a 200-year-old vampire.

If you want paranoid, look at Ian. He's so unwilling to take the risk of trusting Elan that he would rather sit in the jail cell.